


Steel and Flames

by NaughtyBees



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dragon Age AU, Gen, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 19:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaughtyBees/pseuds/NaughtyBees
Summary: Mako Rutledge is a qunari who finds himself faced with a strange elf in the woods.Dragon Age/Overwatch crossover!





	Steel and Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr liked my AU so I wrote a bit. May or may not continue it.

Mako never liked being called Tal Vashoth. That was for rebels who had broken away from the Qun. He considered himself Vashoth, having been sent to an orphanage in Ferelden shortly after being born. As most orphans did, he joined a mercenary band when he came of age. He'd always been good at fighting, being huge even for a qunari. With a bulging gut, long, silver hair and massive horns, curled around like a bighorn sheep, gilded with silver at the tips, he was quite a sight. 

A wolf fell with a blow from his massive battleaxe, crying out as it went limp. Mako took his knife, beginning to skin it, deftly pulling the hide from the flesh. A wolf pelt would bring a pretty penny and he could sell it to a nearby merchant. Provided they actually wanted to trade with a ‘filthy ox man’. Humans could be so sensitive.   
The storm coast was a beautiful place. The crash of the sea, the constant rain, the way the wildlife always tried to kill him. It made him feel alive. However, today was rather sunny. Odd for such a wet place. Mako didn't think much to it as he trudged back to his horse, tying the pelt behind the saddle. The horse shifted uncomfortably and he stroked her side, shushing it. “It’s okay, Hog. We’ll make camp soon.”   
The horse snorted, sounding just like her namesake, lips nuzzling into his hair. “I know, I know… I won't be too long.” He gave the horse a pat before setting off again, axe over his shoulder. A few more pelts and he could stop for the day. 

The sound of shouting up ahead caught his attention and he frowned, holding his axe tight as he edged closer. There was a clearing, trees surrounding a sheer rock face. Some humans were there, templars by the look of them. They surrounded someone, an elf, swords drawn on him. Elves were all lithe but this one was down right malnourished. He shivered with cold, staff tight in his hands as he backed against the wall. Templars hunting a mage. He'd seen it a dozen times. This one was beyond terrified. 

“Give up, mage! You'll be made tranquil whether you resist or not!” One of the templars shouted at the elf. Mako shuddered. He'd never liked the idea of the rite of tranquility. Being stripped of all emotion, all self, death would be better. 

The elf shook his head, large ears wiggling about his head as he cowered. “You won't take me!” He shrieked, the shrill voice of someone who knew it was either fight or die. He thrust a hand forward, a huge fireball being conjured, slamming into the nearest templar to the elf. The human screamed as he burned, panicking, trying to put out his searing flesh. A fire glyph on the floor was placed between him and the templars, cornering him but making them hesitate. 

That was when Mako decided to strike. He couldn't leave, it would be on his conscience forever. As he stepped out from the treeline, the elf was clearly surprised and fearful, having to make sure to ward the templars back by casting smaller fireballs from the ends of his staff. He watched as Mako charged over, screaming a battle cry that made the templars focus on him with wide eyes. He kicked one of them, the man flying into the fire glyph, a large explosion setting him ablaze. Mako swung his axe, hacking into the nearest human with an overarm swing, flattening him into the ground. Another ran for him, sword drawn, and he swiftly caught him in the gut with his pommel, stunning him. He jumped back when the templar burst into flames, seeing the elf fighting for his life, flinging fire frantically. Another templar swung for Mako, catching his arm with a deep gouge.   
Smelling the blood, Mako felt himself grow wilder, a bellowing cry from his mouth as he brandished his weapon, hacking humans to pieces as they came at him, feeling the flames licking at his skin. He fought until there was no more fight, looking toward the elf. 

His staff lay on the ground, back pressed against a wall as a templar had a blade to his throat. “Stay back! Stay back or I'll kill the mage!”

Mako put his axe over his shoulder, blood trickling down his grey skin. “Really? Okay, sure. Do you cut arteries or just take the whole head?” He asked, stepping closer. 

“I'm not bluffing!” The templar yelled at Mako. 

A chuckle came from the horned man. “Only people who are bluffing say they aren't.” He swung his axe in a large arc, missing the elf by inches, the blade beheading the templar completely. The elf fell to the ground, shaking and crying slightly, clearly in shock.   
Mako reached out a hand for him, taking the right one. He was a little surprised to see that in the place of an arm was enchanted metal, looking clockwork, the individual pieces gliding into place as the fingers moved with some sort of magic. 

“Oh, Maker above… I thought that was it!” The elf clutched his chest as he was raised to his feet. Foot. His right leg was metal too, a silver peg engraved with pretty designs. “I couldn't have gone back to the circle… Andraste’s pants, they were going to make me tranquil! I am so glad you came along!”

Mako looked down at him. He was surprisingly tall for an elf, very bony with wild hair. No vallaslin so he was clearly a city elf, not Dalish. He turned away from him, trudging back to his horse. “Wait!” Came a voice from behind him, the elf following. “You can't just leave me! What if there are more templars?” He stayed at Mako's elbow all the way to his horse. “Please- OH! Is that a Dalish All-Bred? She's beautiful!” Mako watched the elf approach his horse, holding out a hand for her to sniff before pulling half an apple from his pack, giving it to her, rubbing her nose. “Aren't you gorgeous?” He asked her, a heavy snort coming from her. 

Mako mounted her, intending to ride away. He didn't hunt with anyone else and the elf could fend for himself. However, Hog planted her feet, not moving. He dug his heels in, clicking his tongue, making her resist even more. She reached her head back and tried to bite his legs before nickering at the elf softly. Mako sighed and reached down, lifting him by the scruff of his neck, setting him on Hog’s withers just in front of him. Satisfied, she trotted along back to his camp, tail swishing. “You set fire to my horse, I'll gut you.”

The elf laughed. “I won't, don't worry. Say, do you have a name? Or...job? Qunari use their jobs as names right?”

Snorting, Mako shook his head. “I don't follow the Qun. I'm Mako.”

“Mako, I like that. I'm Jamison. Fawkes.” He grinned. “Thanks for getting me out of that, by the way. Most people hate mages. And elves.”

Mako shrugged. “Don't have a problem with elves. Mages are fine as long as they don't get possessed.” 

Jamison laughed. “I don't use blood magic. You should be okay.” 

And they arrived at the camp, Mako dismounted, looking at the campfire. The wood was wet and he sighed heavily. “Great. I'll have to find some dry wood.”  
Jamison hopped down from the horse and limped over, stooping by the pile of wood. With a few gestures, the wood was alight as if it were bone dry, blazing away. He sat down happily and smiled as he rummaged through his bag, Mako moving over to him after taking the saddle off Hog, setting it beneath his tarp. “Don't suppose you have a spell to conjure me up any cake?” 

Jamie laughed shrilly and shook his head. “Only fire magic, I'm afraid. I was never any good with other kinds. I tried but I could never get it right. Guess I'm just not a very good mage.” He summoned a small ball of flame and threw it from hand to hand, spinning it and twirling it. “You’re pretty handy with that axe. Been fighting long?” 

“Yeah.”

Jamison tilted his head. “...Alright. Man of few words? Suits me! I hate people who just wait for their turn to speak instead of listening.” He watched as Mako skewered some fish onto sticks around the fire, smiling at the fact that there was plenty for them both. “I'll be out of your hair soon enough. I was thinking I could find some Dalish. See if they'll take me in. Train me a little. I had a clan but we had a bit of a run in with some shemlen. They thought I died. I was 10. But a nice lady took me in, fed me, brought me up until the templars came for me...” 

There was a silence between them while they ate their fish, the elf clearly starving as he licked off the bones, eating everything he was given. Mako gave him his leftovers and he ate every bite, soon sitting back with a happy sigh, the night dark now, the fire being the only light around. “That hit the spot. Thanks, Mako.” He wiped his mouth, humming, before looking at the large man. “I don't mean to be, uh… weird… but can I touch your horns?”   
Mako raised an eyebrow at him and Jamie smiled bashfully. “I haven't met a qunari before. Hard not to be curious, eh?” 

Mako sighed heavily. This elf was annoying but he supposed he could humour him a little. “Fine.” 

The elf shuffled closer, smiling as he reached up, a hand running from the base of Mako’s horn to the tip, thumb rubbing the sharp point. “Wow! Did they hurt when they grew?” He asked, taking the horn in his hand, moving it slightly so Mako’s head swayed. “Do you use them in battle?” 

Mako rolled his eyes. “Yes, they hurt. And yes, I do.” He folded his arms as Jamie took one in each hand, making Mako rotate his head, inspecting them close. “Close combat is easy for me. Too close for my axe, I just headbutt them. Works pretty well.” Jamie realised he was being a little grabby and let go, about to move back when Mako held his shoulder, hand reaching to feel his pointed ears. “You've got really big ears. I mean, big for an elf even.”

Jamie laughed. “I know. Spectacular, aren't they? They looked even bigger when I was a kid. I grew into them.” He stayed sat beside Mako, smiling. “Do you want to tell campfire stories?” 

“No.”

“Can I?” 

Shrug.

Jamie grinned, taking that as a yes. “I'll tell you a Dalish legend my mother told me when I was tiny to pass the time while we travelled. Watch this…” He moved his fingers intricately, fire warping around them, beginning to form into shapes. 

The flames hung in the air, a woman stood there, only a shape, burning bright.   
“One day, Ghilan'nain came across a hunter in the forest. At his feet lay a hawk, dead by his hand. Ghilan'nain was filled with rage since the hawk is loved by Andruil, goddess of the hunt.” The flames took the shapes of a man, a dead bird laying with an arrow through its heart. “Ghilan'nain called upon the goddess to curse him, so that he could never kill a living creature again. The curse took hold, and the hunter swore revenge.”

Mako watched as the fire aspect of the hunter began to attack the woman. “He found her and blinded her, then bound her like you would a fresh kill. The hunter could not kill her so he left her for dead. And Ghilan'nain prayed to the gods for help.” Some fire animals appeared from behind Mako’s head, hopping around him before going over to the flaming woman. “Andruil sent her hares to Ghilan'nain and they chewed through her ropes, but Ghilan'nain was still blind and couldn't find her way home.” The firey woman glowed bright, her form changing. “Andruil turned her into a beautiful white deer. The first halla.” The shape became a deer with twisted horns, glowing bright white, prancing around, Mako as Jamie still wiggled his fingers. “That's why Ghilan'nain is the mother of the halla, the one we pray to when we want a swift journey since they pull our aravels.” The flaming halla reared up and trotted into the campfire, disappearing into it. 

Mako was silent for a moment before exhaling. “That was gorgeous…” Mako mumbled, smiling. “Honestly, that was really pretty.” 

Jamie beamed wide. “You think so?! Thank you! Most people are scared of mages and most mages think doing pretty things instead of useful things is pointless. So nobody really likes my stuff…”

Mako patted his shoulder and stood up. “Fuck them. Who cares what people think?” He mumbled as he lumbered toward his tent. “I think its pretty.”

Jamison was clearly overjoyed, settling beside the campfire with a large grin across his face. “G’night, Mako! Sleep well!” He chimed to him.

Mako sighed and settled down to sleep in his tent, wondering what he'd got himself into.


End file.
